30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 15 11-32 To seek and the save the lost - The prodigal son 32 The pleading heart of God
📖 Luke 15:11-32
14Mar2020 - *The pleading heart of God* - _Luke 15:11-32_ - Bible reading: _Matthew 20:12-16_
_Luke 15:25-30 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. (26) So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. (27) And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' (28) "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him._
The father came out and pleaded with his ender son that he would come into the house and join the celebration. _Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."_ This was the joy of the father’s heart but the elder son refused to join the feast.
Yesterday we said that the Jonah story is about a prophet, who was not in tune with the heart of God. In chapter four the Lord longs for Jonah to understand the pain of his heart for Nineveh. _Jonah 4:11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?_ The Lord is pleading with Jonah to be in tune with His heart. _Jonah 4:4 Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"_
The Lord longed for the Israelites to be in tune with His heart and be His emissaries for the Gentiles to come into fellowship with Him, but to a large extent, they were unwilling. _Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!_
_II Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God._ This is who we are, ambassadors for Christ, pleading to the world on His behalf, to be reconciled back with Him.
We see the parable, were workers were sent into the field to work at different times of the day. At the end of the day, when the payment was made, those who started work early, expected to be paid more than those, who were hired at the end of the day. To their shock and anger they were paid the same as those who started late.
_Matthew 20:12-14 saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' (13) But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? (14) Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. (15) Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' (16) So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."_
The elder son was angry with his father, that his wayward younger brother was being treated the way in which only he thought he deserved to be treated. The elder son needed to have repented and sought forgiveness from his father, that he had not understood his father’s grief and for his ‘righteous than my brother’ attitude.
The elder son would have received forgiveness, would have been reconciled with his father, would have entered the house, would have joined the celebration and most importantly, would have been reconciled with his younger brother too.
Is this not the attitude of the majority of us in the church? We are busy with all of the activities of the church but are we in tune with the grief of God’s heart? Are we conscious that our choices in life are not in alignment to His pain? Do we not often consider ourselves good enough and that we do not need to repent? Does it occur to us that there will be many from other faiths, who will enter into the kingdom of God because they repented and returned to God and we are left standing out?
*Thought to ponder*
```Do we realise that the last will be first and the first last?```